Is there a market in Hungary for designer doghouses worth 300,000 Hungarian forints (€900) apiece? Hungarian entrepreneur Gábor Gallai thinks so and is putting his money where his mouth is.
The idea came to him a few years ago while cycling. As he rode past upscale neighborhoods featuring elegant houses and well-tended gardens, he thought the entire view was being a bit spoiled by traditional doghouses.
Gallai thought he could do better and teamed up with architect Loránd Szász, who at first didn’t think the job of designing doghouses was fit for a professional, but eventually agreed.
Gallai’s firm, Waff, now offers several designs made from three layers of pinewood. These designer doghouses feature mineral wool thermal insulation, a stainless steel base for durability and even thermal curtains to ensure optimal comfort. Gallai says that his goal is to take his doghouse design global, saying the Hungarian market may be limited, but says even here there is plenty of business opportunity.
“If you already spend 8 million forints (€24,300) on your garden, an additional 300,000 [forints] is not a big deal,” he told Forbes Hungary.
Anyone wanting to buy his doghouses must also factor in the cost of transportation. These houses are not only fairly large, but at around 150 kilograms, they weigh almost as much as an upright piano.
Hungarians have an estimated 2.5 million to 3 million dogs, 60 percent of which are purebred. German shepherds are by far the most popular followed by Dachshunds and the famous Hungarian dreadlocked herding dog, the Puli.
Title image: Hungarian entrepreneur Gábor Gallai and his designer doghouses (source: Forbes.hu)
